by Larry Brown
She smiled at him and spoke, “Is everything all right? I hope you are not mad. I fixed food for you. Hopefully enough for a few days. I thought it was the least I could do. I want to apologize again. I am so, so sorry for what I did.” She was sorting out the various pots and bowls she brought as if her presence was a regular thing.
Harry’s mind jumped to what Maggie had said on several occasions about the woman. He could still hear her voice, “Hey, I see you checking her out. Nice body, put some makeup and nice clothes, and she would be a fine looking woman.” He would always deny, but they both knew what she said was true.
“I’m sorry Ruth, I was asleep when you came to the door and I, I mean, you really surprised me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry I woke you. I know you need to get plenty of rest.”
“No, no, I needed to be getting up, I slept long enough.”
“If you like, I will be happy to stay until you are ready to eat. I can serve you and then clean up. Is there anything, I mean anything at all, I can do for you while I am here, I don’t know if there could be enough that I could do for you to make up for the pain I have caused.”
“It’s okay. What is done is done, and we both have to move on. You didn’t have to do this, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, and as far as you staying, I would not mind but the way you are dressed, you must have plans for the evening.”
“No plans, other than you. I thought you should know, there is another side to me other than housekeeping, I am prepared to stay the evening if you needed or wanted me to.”
He wasn’t sure how he should respond. Then he remembered Andy, “Actually, a friend is bringing dinner. When you surprised me, I almost forgot.”
“Again, I am so sorry. I just barged in, took over the kitchen, and started warming food without asking if you had plans. Forgive me.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry, I know what she is bringing, and it will keep. It’s fine.”
“Mr. Harry, I should have called and asked before coming over, I’m sorry.” She was obviously distressed.
Harry walked over to her put his hands on her shoulders, “Don’t be upset, it was a wonderful gesture. But I think it’s time to drop the ‘Mister,’ just call me Harry.”
“But you are my employer, I must show respect.”
“Make me happy and drop the Mr.”
“I will do whatever I can to make you happy.”
It was the first time he had ever been that close to her and the first time he had ever touched her. Her smell was intoxicating.
Then the doorbell rang. It had to be Andy. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped back. He motioned for her to stay and he went to the door to find Clay.
“Big news friend, let me fix us something to drink, and I will give you the details. By the way, who’s car is that?”
He motioned Clay toward the kitchen, and when Clay saw Ruth, he was shocked. He had only seen Ruth at Roscoe’s office, and she had appeared to be a frumpy housekeeper, plus the fact she never got out of her chair.
“You two obviously know each other.”
Clay spoke shaking his head, “Damn Ruth, if I had passed you on the street, I don’t think I would have recognized you.” She smiled but did not speak.
Clay spoke again, “This kitchen smells great.”
“Complements of Ms. Lopez.”
“I thought Andy was making your dinner.”
“She is, it’s complicated.”
“I should leave,” she said.
“Ruth, you don’t have to go, you can stay as long as you like.”
“No, I think I better go.”
He walked her to the door just as Andy appeared. She came in, and for a moment the two women just looked each other over.
“Andy this is Ruth. Ruth this is Andy.”
Neither spoke until Andy said, “You are the housekeeper?”
Ruth did not hesitate, “Why, yes, I am.”
“The one who left the door unlocked?”
Harry couldn’t believe she said that but before he could speak Ruth answered, “Yes, it was a terrible mistake.”
“I guess,” Andy said sarcastically.
“Why don’t you join your brother in the kitchen, I need to speak to Ruth, I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
She turned and walked to the kitchen without saying another word.
He helped Ruth with her coat and again put his hands on her shoulders, “I’m sorry about that. She was very rude. I will see you at the regular time tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for thinking about me, Ruth.”
She smiled at him and left. He stood at the door and watched her go. He could hardly believe what just happened.
Chapter 72
When she was gone, he went back to the kitchen. Clay was smiling like a Cheshire cat. “What was that all about? Man, I never saw a housekeeper that looked like that.”
Andy was not smiling.
Harry held up both hands, “I don’t know exactly. I think it’s about a guilty conscience. I’ve never seen her dressed up like that before. I think she is doing what she thinks she needs to do to make up for the beating I took. There is nothing romantic going on here. What is she, forty-five, maybe fifty? She didn’t even look like the woman who takes care of my house.”
Andy could not contain herself, “Why in the world would you have anything to do with her? You should be charging her with a crime, and you should be arresting her.”
“Think about what you just said. Arresting her for forgetting to lock his front door. I don’t think so.”
“You both know that’s not true.”
“You are right, but we could never prove it in court,” Harry answered. “Besides, she knows she was wrong, and she has apologized.”
“You could have been killed. I think this is crazy.”
“Hey, it’s done, it’s over, I made my decision and have moved on. Tell me about Delgado.”
Clay gave them both the play by play of the Henry Delgado search and arrest. He told them he has Delgado sweating. He had never expected the charges to be attempted murder. Plus, it appears Freddy has vanished. Roscoe is going to represent Delgado, and he was heard telling Delgado that Freddy was gone and he doubted either of them would see him again. Clay had decided to let him sweat it out overnight and start to put the pressure on again in the morning. He finished by telling them they not only had the boots but also the weighted rubber hose which by the way still had traces of dried blood on it. They had sent it to the lab in hopes they could tie it back to Harry.
“What a great job you have done. All we need now is his partner and his boss.”
“Nothing would have been done if you had not seen those boots and gotten your so-called anonymous tip. Delgado never dreamed you could identify those fancy boots. Without the boots, we would be chasing our tails.”
“Good work and you are welcome to stay and eat. We have lots of food.”
“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m going back to work. Lot’s going on in our little town.”
While he walked Clay to the door, she fixed them both drinks. He returned and started apologizing for all the food.
“I never dreamed in a million years she would show up here tonight dressed up and bring all this food. It was a real surprise. But I think we should eat hers. I think yours will be easier to freeze and save for later.”
“Does this mean I can come back again tomorrow?”
Harry smiled, “I guess if that’s what you would like.”
“You know you are a very unpredictable man, don’t you?”
“I didn’t, but I think that’s good. But please explain.”
“How you could forgive that woman amazes me, let me rephrase that. I can see how you can forgive her but allowing her to work here still is surprising.”
“It’s very simple. I did not want to have to retrain somebody and let’s face it, she’s nice looking and easy to be around,” as he laug
hed out loud, “Gotcha!”
“That’s not funny, Mr. Harry Blake.”
“Oh, it hurts to laugh, so no touching and no joking,” he said with a huge grin on his face.
“One last word on the subject. I hope you forgive me that easily and hire me back the way I was before,” and she pushed his shoulder.
He grimaced then smiled and said, “No touching, remember?”
They ate Ruth’s food, and it was delicious. She cleaned up and suggested they start a fire and watch a movie. She had decided it was better not to push him too hard or too fast. She wanted him to feel comfortable with her again. She settled on the couch next to his recliner and watched the movie.
The excellent food and wine, fireplace and his physical condition had him asleep halfway through the movie. She lasted only minutes longer. They were awakened by his phone. It was Clay, he wanted to come back. When they looked at the time, they realized he had been gone for over three hours. In minutes Clay was at the front door.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.”
She answered, “Oh, but you did. You woke us both, sleeping through an old movie we had both probably seen twice.”
“Can I impose and have a nightcap? You are not going to believe what I have to tell you.”
She fixed them all a drink and they sat down in front of the fireplace. They were both staring at Clay.
“Okay, I told you they were going to surveil the two Tampa cops. Well, they did, including phone taps. They were able to identify the main guy in Miami. When I say the main guy, I mean he controls the whole southeast for this cartel. Well, they raided his place and caught him with his pants down. He was having some kind of big meeting with his people, and they got everything he had; detailed records of contacts, routes, money, the whole nine yards. You will not believe where his distribution in the upstate comes from? Our own little Lakeview. I told you there was lots going on in our little town. We had no clue. Now here is the icing on the cake. Guess who controls things in Lakeview?”
They, of course, had no clue.
“The one and only, Mr. Freddy Lopez.”
“That’s unbelievable, but you knew he was crooked,” Harry said.
“True, but I sure didn’t know this.”
“Is this Miss Housekeeper’s brother?”
“Absolutely,” Clay said.
She looked at Harry, “And you still want to have her in your house?”
“It’s not her, it’s her brother.” Harry shook his head amazed she would make the comment. He had said it harshly and decided to try to quickly change the tone, “Just because your brother is a weak and passive law enforcement person, doesn’t mean you are too.” And he laughed and pointed his finger at Clay, she laughed, but Clay said,
“You two, leave me out of your fight.”
“What happens now?”
“My guess is we will never see Freddy again. I suspect between Delgado being caught and now this, he will slip across the border never to be seen or heard of again. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if Delgado’s partner isn’t gone with Freddy. By the way, the DEA will raid everything related to Freddy at daylight.”
“You know whose face I would like to see when they find all this out?”
“Who?”
“Our good friend, Roscoe.”
Both men laughed.
Clay said, “I got to go grab a few hours of sleep before the big raid.” He looked at his sister and said, “Are you staying or going?”
“None of your business, now get out of here.”
“Okay, but one last thing, Andy, you are the new hero of the DEA. Thanks to your tip, it was one of their biggest busts ever.”
Clay left the pair standing at the front door. He looked at her and said, “I’m beat, I’ve got to get some sleep.”
She smiled, “I brought clothes so I can stay over and make you a nice breakfast.”
“Thanks, but I need to work, and I’ve reached a point I can fend for myself.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying, as a matter of fact, I would like to stay.”
“Look, you have been so kind with the food and everything, but I really do need to spend some time alone. I need to have some quiet time to think.”
“Well I hope some of your thinking time is about me,” and she smiled, kissed him on the mouth, retrieved her coat and left. She was pretty sure Betty would be his chosen one.
Chapter 73
Harry slept hard and late, it was after nine in the morning when he pulled himself out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. He was glad to be alone. He seemed to have so many unresolved issues on his plate. He had his book which had been virtually ignored since before the holidays. He received an email with the final draft of the mini-series script which he was committed to approving. He had the open item of catching and solving all involved in his beating and of course trying to recover his coins. And last, but certainly not least, what was he going to do about Andy and Betty. When he thought of them, the other issues seemed easy.
He moved, and it was 11 am before he made it to this office to start work. His phone rang, it was Betty, wanting to bring lunch. He told her that he had a late breakfast and he needed to work. She had restated her promise to Millie, and he assured her he had talked to Millie and all was well. She was thinking, Andy is back and I am out.
As he worked into the early afternoon, he realized Ruth and her crew had not shown up for their housekeeping duties. He tried to call her but got voicemail. This worried him, he thought he might have to add another item to his open item list. Within minutes, Ruth called to apologize and explain why she wasn’t there.
Clay had been correct, Freddy Lopez was gone never to return. He had given the property he maintained for himself to Ruth. Roscoe had Ruth come to his office and handle the paperwork. It seems she now owned the Mexican restaurant in the building where Freddy had his personal residence and office. Roscoe had shown her the records from the restaurant, and it was a very profitable place. She would now receive income in place of Freddy. The building and land which involved about an acre had no debt. The labor company Freddy had operated out of his office would also be hers. This enterprise also offered a substantial income which would now be hers. She said she wanted him to know all this to help him understand why she would not be coming back. But she would keep the crew that basically knew what to do the same and provide a new supervisor. She also said she had heard that he had helped Mrs. Matthews with her business, and wanted to know if she could hire him to help her. She now had two new enterprises.
Harry had been pleasantly surprised. She didn’t even sound like the old Ruth. She had suddenly been thrust into a new role, and sounded as if she was adapting quickly. He told her he would be delighted to help her and she said she would bring his new head housekeeper out the next day, and if he had the time, they could discuss how he could help her. He agreed, and they terminated the call and he leaned back in his desk chair thinking what a surprising turn of events.
Andy called and wanted to know if she could come over and warm the stew for him for dinner, he insisted that he was working and did not want to stop, plus he was very capable of warming the stew when he wanted to eat. She seemed to understand. She wanted to ask if Betty was coming over but decided it might be a mistake.
It was after six in the evening when he stopped working and decided to warm the stew and fix himself a drink. His phone rang again, this time it was Clay wanting to know if he could stop by on his way home and give him an update on the investigation.
He showed up a few minutes later. “How are you? How do you feel?”
“Just sore, I worked a good bit today, so now I’m sore and tired. I don’t have all my energy back.”
“That’s understandable, you just need to take it easy for a while, don’t rush it.”
“What’s happening in the investigation?”
“Well, the DEA raid was a bust. It probably was ruined by your ID of Delgado a
nd his arrest. I think Freddy already had a detailed escape plan in place. I mean he left most of his personal possessions behind, but there were no records or evidence of drugs anywhere. More people are missing than Freddy. Delgado’s partner in crime is gone, plus a few more, probably his drug team. I think he was a smart guy. Nobody left behind to testify about drugs. Oh yeah, and listen to this, your hot housekeeper has inherited all Freddy’s stuff. She is now in high cotton. Amazing.”
“I know, she called me and told me everything plus she wants to hire me to help her with her new ventures.”
“What, are you kidding me?”
“No, it’s the truth. What about Delgado?”
“He broke today. Roscoe’s representing him and they want a deal. I held strong and said tell us everything, and if it’s good enough, we will tell you what we will do. Roscoe was pissed, but I said you don’t talk, we have a strong case for attempted murder and robbery.”
“And?”
“He spilled his guts, told us who his partner was. He told us the order came directly from Freddy, but he swears after they gave the coins to Freddy and got paid, he didn’t know what happened.”
“What about Ruth?”
“He says she didn’t know anything other than to leave the door unlocked. They were parked outside of your neighborhood and when they saw Ruth and crew leave, they drove in and did the deed. He said Freddy said hurt you, but not to kill you. As I said before, I don’t think we will ever see Freddy or Delgado’s partner again. I think that we will put Delgado away for a while, but the rest will be done.”
“You want some stew before you go?”
“I thought Andy was coming to eat with you.”
“No, she did offer but I’m trying to catch up on some work, and I need some alone time.”
They ate their stew without much talk. Finally, Clay spoke, “Can I ask you what you are thinking about Andy and Betty?”
“There have been so many things going on in my life, I haven’t had time to try and sort through everything.”
“Well, I know for sure Andy would like for you two to pick back up where you were before she left.”